Eyebrow Dandruff
How to Treat Eyebrow Dandruff
While most people know what dandruff is and would recognize it in someone’s hair or on clothing, eyebrow dandruff is not something that you would ordinary expect to see. It often occurs on people who already have dandruff on their scalps.
We all have sebaceous glands, which are glands within the scalp that excrete sebum, an oily substance that is meant to keep the skin lubricated. When these glands become dysfunctional and don’t secrete the right amount of sebum, scales form on the scalp. Usually it is the result of too much sebum and not too little. These scales can burn or become itchy and the dead skin can flake off as dandruff. The sebaceous glands cover all of our skin except for the soles of our feet and the palms of our hands.
The sebaceous glands are found in areas of the body that are covered with hair. They are attached to hair follicles. But, they also exist in areas on the body without hair, such as the eyelids, nipples, labia minora and penis. The sebum excreted by the glands is both oily and waxy. It contains fat, wax, and dead cell debris.
Sebum causes not only hair and eyebrow dandruff, but oily hair and acne as well. In these cases, too much sebum is the problem. When it is the right amount, sebum keeps skin moist. In babies (fetus in utero), sebaceous glands also secrete a substance which is waxy and white that protects the skin of newborns. The glands start to appear in greater number during puberty, on the penis in males and the labia minora in females.
This is the reason that many teenagers develop acne. There is a drug, isotretinoin, which reduces the amount of sebum and is used to treat acne. Bodybuilders, who use anabolic steroids to grow muscles, also acquire acne because steroids increase the amount of sebum excreted by the sebaceous glands.
Eyebrow dandruff is treated with dandruff shampoos, which can be purchased over the counter or medicated shampoos for which you need a prescription. These shampoos have such ingredients as salicylic acid, ketoconazole, selenium and corticosteroids. The steroids cannot be used for long periods of time without unwanted side effects.
The first thing to do to treat eyebrow dandruff is to get a soft toothpaste and use it to gently scrub the eyebrows. The flakes will fall off of the hairs. Here, a regular baby shampoo, should be used to treat eyebrow dandruff. Eyebrows are very sensitive and you have to be careful not to damage the skin. Next, work some baby oil into the eyebrow hair, leave it there for ten minutes, and then wash it out. The eyebrow should be treated with a moisturizer to heal the skin. Often treatments use lotions which contain aloe vera or cocoa butter.
Eczema can be responsible for eyebrow dandruff as can seborrhea dermatitis, a skin condition which causes white patches which flake off. The skin can also get red and inflamed. The eyelids can get red and crusty. Once again, the problem is too much oil. Here it is produced on the skin by a yeast that is naturally present. In babies, seborrhea dermatitis is known as cradle cap. Facial psoriasis is another skin condition can cause eyebrow dandruff. Treatment is often with steroids and medicated shampoos.
If you have any of these skin conditions, you should see your doctor or dermatologist to get a diagnosis and appropriate treatment. All of these skin problems can usually be healed in 10-14 days, but they are lifetime conditions which will continually reappear.